'Angels amp& Demons' delivers action, suspense

When an old enemy threatens, the Catholic Church turns to an atheist for help in “Angels and Demons.”
Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks), whom we first met in 2006’s “The Da Vinci Code,” is an expert on the Illuminati, a cadre of free thinkers who’ve battled with the church for centuries.
A representative of the Vatican tells Langdon the Illuminati has resurfaced. Four cardinals have been kidnapped and will be killed one after another unless someone stops them. There’s also a ticking anti-matter time bomb that could destroy the Vatican and half of Rome.
Next thing you know, Langdon, a devout man of science, finds himself in Vatican City, where he has a hard time telling the good guys from the bad guys.
During several TV interviews, director Ron Howard has described “Angels and Demons” as a thriller. He’s got a point because Langdon gets lost, shot at and nearly asphyxiated, but he keeps solving puzzles, trying to prevent mass murder and mayhem.
It’s an energetic movie with plenty of twists, turns and double-crosses. I figured out the bad guy early on, but author Dan Brown and screenwriters Akiva Goldsman and David Koepp keep things interesting until the end with chases, explosions and split-second rescues. Sure I knew who did it, but I didn’t know how.
When the credits started to roll, all kinds of pesky questions popped up. Without all the rush and run on screen, the logic of the film starts to fall apart. Who? How? Huh?
Bottom line: If you’re willing to suspend a whole lot of disbelief, it’s a thrill ride.
I give “Angels and Demons” a C plus.
It’s showing at the Cinemark in Tupelo, as well as Malcos in Oxford, Corinth and Columbus, Hollywood Premier Cinemas in Starkville and Movie Reel in New Albany
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